Pink Apricot Rose with dark background – small watercolor painting

March 2nd, 2010

Rose Clair Renaissance, small watercolor rose painting, kleines Rosenbild, Rosengemälde, Aquarellbild, watercolour

Rose Clair Renaissance VI, size 6″x6″ (15×15 cm),
watercolor painting, copyright: Doris Joa

This is another small Rose painting. It is a painting of the Rose Clair Renaissance, one of my favorite roses. This Rose has a pale pink colour and I love to create the shadows. The inner glows with an yellow underwash of Indian Yellow, I then added Translucent Orange and then a mix of Scarlet Red and Translucent Orange.

Artists often ask how a dark background can be created. It is really easy to do.

When I am doing a background I do at first wet the area, on which I want to paint. Sometimes I do paint on the dry area, apply my colours there and then go immediately with a wet brush over the edges, so that no hard edges are created. But this I do only on really small areas.

Now back to the better method. :) I do wet the area I then apply my colours just I like them, some yellow, some orange, some sap green, some red and also some darker colours like a mix of alizarin crimson and phthalo green or I am using Paynes Grey Bluish. I apply these colours side by side, this allows me also to create an interesting background, when you want that some lighter areas will show between some darker areas.

Of course the first underwash will not be enough, the colours are light and it would look too colourful. Wait until all is dry and then do the same. Add the green, where you want to have the green, add more yellow, where you want to have it glowing a bit more, add some darks, when you want more darks. When this is still not enough, let it dry and then add another layer. Do it so long until you are happy with your background.

It works absolutely perfect and is so easy to do. The darker the background the more the flower will pop in your painting, adds more drama to the artwork.

The shadows on this Rose were created with a mix of Alizarin Crimson, Phthalo blue, a bit of Translucent Orange to the mix, where I wanted to have the shadows warmer. Where I wanted to have them cooler I used a bit more of the blue.

Sunshine Blog award

February 28th, 2010

Sunshine Blog Award

I was very surprised to get a message from Alex Zonis, who gave me a blog award – the Sunshine Blog Award.

Thank you very much Alex and I feel very honored.

I have to follow the Award rules and must nominate 12 bloggers. That is an easy job, because I would like to nominate my friends on the Artcolony blog. I am happy to be a part of this Artcolony blog, because there are some wonderful artists which has become friends to me. This are more than 12, but each of them deserve the award, if this is Jane Freeman, Cindy Agan, Diane Morgan, Mollie Jones, Mary Jansen, Nita Bridges-Hoyt, Emily Johnson, Carol Chretien, Kay Smith, Debbie Cannatella, Verena Heroux, Ruth Steinfatt, Elinor Sethman, Pat Hart, Kaaren Oreck, Christiane Fortin, Chris Beck and Michelle Himes. They all deserve this Sunshine Blog award, because they always like to share all they know about painting, they are very helpful and an inspiration. I only wish my special friend from the other side of the world – Susan Harrison-Tustain -  would have a blog, because she also deserves this Blog award. Her paintings are full of magic and she also always loves to share her knowledge about painting.

Pink, Red, White, Rose Paintings and a figurative painting of a young woman/girl on a bridge

February 23rd, 2010

Pink Rose, White Rose, Apricot Rose Painting, Red Rose Painting, Figurative painting woman/young girl on a bridge, romantic figure painting

Pink roses, white roses, red rose, yellow roses, purple roses, roses in all colours by Doris Joa, large collection of roses, small original paintings in watercolor

Collection of Roses paintings, each 6×6 inch (15×15 cm), watercolor on paper
copyright: Doris Joa

I painted more and more roses in the past time. Here I am displaying some of them. Each is 6″x6″ (15×15 cm) and each is painted on 140 Lb hotpressed paper.

All are sold, but some are still currently running on ebay. If you want to have a look please click here.  My starting price is $19.95 and shipping is $8 worldwide. I do combine shipping for up to 6 or 7 small original paintings or prints.

It looks great to see the Roses displayed together and it makes absolutely much fun to create them.

young blonde woman/girl standing on a bridge enjoying her moment in the sun, looking over the river and a beautiful green landscape - original figurative painting by Doris Joa in watercolor

Her Moment in the sun, watercolor, 20×28 inch (50×70 cm)
copyright: Doris Joa

And here is my newest figurative painting of a young girl/woman standing on a bridge and enjoying the moment in the sun. It is painted on 140 Lb coldpressed watercolor paper, stretched over stretcher bars, size is 20″x28″ (50×70 cm).

Roses, Roses, Roses

January 25th, 2010

While working on some other projects I couldn’t resist to do some Rose paintings.

Here are a few. Pink Roses, white Roses and a Yellow Rose. Some are painted on 140 Lb coldpressed paper, others on hotpressed paper and others on the heavier 340 Lb coldpressed paper. I like all three surfaces.

All these paintings are listed on ebay in auction, with a starting price of $19.95. Shipping is $8, combined shipping without additional shipping costs is also possible. When you want to have a look, please click here

If you are searching for  a special rose or a special colour please just send an email.

Do you also want to have your favorite roses painted? ust send an email.

Click here to go to the auctions.

Happy New Year 2010

January 4th, 2010

I am wishing you all a very Happy New Year. May it be blessed with health, joy, peace, luck, enough money, success in your career and all what you wish.

I want also to say “Thank you”  for your support in 2009.

There is new art to show.

I already have my first painting completed in 2010. It is painted on Aquabord in watercolor, size is 11×14″.

Young girl with blonde hairs sitting at the water with wet feet - watercolor painting

For our Christmas exchange with some artists friends on Artcolony I painted our black cat “Timmi”. The reference photo of Timmi was done some days before we lost him. It was the first time that I painted him. This painting went to Kay in USA and she told me that she loves the painting very much. So my surprise for her was perfect.

The painting is around 9×12 and painted in watercolor on Reeves Watercolor Board.

Black cat sitting in tree - watercolor realistic fine art painting by Doris Joa

I also finished finally my figurative painting of “Ines”. It is also watercolor, painted on Fabriano Watercolor paper, size is: 12×24″.

Ines - figurative painting, woman, girl with brown curls, white dress in watercolor

If you are searching for some special art please keep in mind that I do take commissions. Since all other commissions for Christmas are completed I am having free time to take new commissions, if this is for a Rose or Flower painting, a portrait or a pet portrait or whatever you want. Please contact me without any obligations using my contact form here.

Black Cat and a small woman head study

December 17th, 2009

girl with brown curls - watercolor painting - fine art

The  small woman head study was painted on 340 Lb coldpressed paper. I just wanted to try how this paper works. I painted already some flowers on this paper, but I really wanted to figure out how it works for faces and hair. It works – but I think it is not really my favorite. The surface is really rough and the colour is not so easy to lift as working on a smoother surface. I think I have better control when working on other surfaces. Size is 6×6 inch.

Black cat curious sitting in a tree - watercolor painting

This black cat was painted on 140 Lb coldpressed paper.  Size is 5×7 inch.

Two Girl Paintings

December 1st, 2009

After all the kittens I needed to do some other faces. At first you will see a young girl with blonde hair and the second one is another beautiful girl with brown hair in a white dress.

The portrait is finished and was paintined on coldpressed Arches watercolor paper. I love the blonde hair in sunlight. No masking fluid was used in both paintings.

girl portrait painting, blonde hair in full sunlight - original watercolor painting by Doris Joa

The figurative painting is mostly finished.

Figurative woman girl painting - girl with brown hair in white dress leaning against a wall

I must check the hands and feet and may also add some colours here and there, maybe I also need to soften some edges, but mostly it is finished. The background will be as it is now. The girl is so present that nothing more is needed in this painting.

Here is a close up:

figurative painting of a young girl, young woman painting in watercolor

Size is 12×24, painted on Fabriano coldpressed watercolor paper.

Cat/Kitten ACEO paintings

November 22nd, 2009

I haven’t posted for a long while here. My rose painting which I posted in my previous post was mostly finished but then I decided to go over some areas to create better and warmer shadows. It isn’t finished yet, but I hope to post it very soon here.

In the meantime I painted some cats and kittens in ACEO size. ACEO means that the painting is 2,5 x 3,5 inch, it is like a trading card. This are all watercolors.

More Steps on my Rose Elfe

October 21st, 2009

Here are some more steps of my Rose painting in oil.




The size is 20″x20″.

In the shadows I am using all colours on my palette: Sap Green, Cadmium Yellow, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, Cerulean blue, phthalo green, phthalo blue. I add Naples Yellow to the titanium white to have not such a harsh white – I want to have the rose not be too cool. I am curious by myself how this painting will look when it is finished. :)

Pink Rose in oil and a WIP of the Rose “Elfe” (Fairy Rose)

October 19th, 2009

In my previous post I mentioned that I was working on a pink Rose in oil. Today I finished this painting. It needed longer then  I thought, because I really needed to get a feeling for the oil colours again. But with each brushstroke I was getting more confidence.

Large Pink Rose oil painting - original art - flower painting by Doris Joa

Pink Rose, medium: oil, size: 16×16 inch (40×40 cm)
Price: $450 plus $50 shipping (airmail and insurance)


Currently I am working on another Rose in oil. It is a creamy white Rose. The german name is Rose Elfe, which means in english: Rose Fairy.

Here is a photo of my working process.

White Creamy Rose Elfe - Fairy Rose - oil painting in progress by Doris Joa

As you can see I  covered my white canvas with a lemon yellow underwash in acrylic. I chose acrylic because it dries very fast.

I am right handed and so I started in the left corner. I do not work in layers. It is totally different to my watercolors.  I paint in a direct way using opaque and transparent colours. I apply my colours just where I see them and then blend them together. It also allows me to soften my edges immediately. But this doesn’t mean that I never have to go back to some areas. Often I see things later where I need to add another layer or to darken areas or to lighten then or to change the colours a bit. But it gives you a good suggestion about how I work with oils. I am using only Walnut oil and Walnut Alkyd Medium from M. Graham – no turpentine – nothing else.

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